These in-depth and informative books examine the nature of these diseases and the devastating effects they have had on populations throughout the world and throughout history. From the earliest infections like malaria to modern-day health crises such as SARS, these fascinating titles explore not only the causes of these diseases and their role in the history of humankind but also the human toll inflicted by these epidemics. Until the 1960s, measles was a fact of life in the United States and the developed world. Each year, about half a million people--"mostly children--"would come down with symptoms that were no worse than a bad cold, except for a rash that spread over the body. Most thought it was harmless, but each year, a small percentage of those that got it died. A look into its history shows that measles has been one of history's deadliest killers, virtually wiping out entire Native American populations in colonial America. Since a vaccine was developed, the number of measles cases each year has become a fraction of what it once was. This is the fascinating story of this once-feared disease--"from its ancient origins to the discovery of a vaccine and near eradication.